[3830] ARRL 160 AE9B Single Op HP

[tombaugh at discoverynet.com]

                    ARRL 160-Meter Contest

Call: AE9B
Operator(s): AE9B
Station: AE9B

Class: Single Op HP
QTH: MO
Operating Time (hrs): 24

Summary:
Total:  QSOs = 992  Sections = 77  Countries = 8  Total Score = 173,204

Club: Kansas City DX Club

Comments:

160M Soap Box:

Messed up and didn't get on until 23:00 Z.. an hour after the contest started.
Should have read the rules again.. 
I thought it started at 0:00 Z oh well live and learn.
I just got W.A.S. last week with AK being my last state. 
And then turn around and W.A.S. in one weekend. 
Activity seemed great and there was little space on the band.
I can't imagine how the QRPers get through that stuff.. Congrats.
We drummed up some Local club effort and got good representation from the Kansas
City DX Club.
Enough that we'll have to enter the Medium category.
I'm an early riser but Not a Night Owl. Slept quite a bit the first night and
less the second.
I wish I would have set some goals (like make 1,200 Q's or something) because I
seemed to get enthusiastic when I finally realized I had a good total going.
That after I started late, slept in the first night and had little time left to
get what I hoped to be 1,000 QSO's.
Thanks to all that came back to my call, and I'm sorry for those I didn't hear.

I used a K9AY loop for most of the contest and used the new 1/4 wave vertical
when the noise was down.
I only have one beverage up and plan to make some changes in that arena.
Last year I had 4 up at one point, but I'm looking for a permanent solution
(damn grass).
I'm fortunate to have a good wife and kids who want me to have fun. 
They came down to see how I was doing and filled up my coffee cup or water
bottle during the contest.
Signals from the West Coast seemed down (attenuated). 
Stuff from the east was definately louder here.
I guess that mountain between here and California can do that.
Had EA6, VK6, NL7, HP4 surprised me with their calls.
Been hamming for 6 years now..  I think I'm getting the hang of this CW stuff.
Top Band is really tough.. and I'm looking forward to the declining sunspots.
My ears are still ringing, but the challenge was a blast! 


I found out there was some DX that I never heard but could hear me.. Sorry :,(
I sure hope I wasn't too big a Gator.
I worked a few new one's with 8 DX from the middle of the country I feel
like I heard my fair share.
The Kansas City DX club had a resurgence with 17 or more logs expected.
I'm encouraged that the Kansas and Missouri will be well represented in low
band activity.
Hopefully we can provide new states to some of our DX friends who need the
states.
The bands were very unusual here. Besides having a lot of activity, I
believe there was some extreme QSB.
Some stations would be S9 and seconds later GONE! I hope there weren't to
many who will be NIL due to that situation.
I'm sure there will be some, due to either lack of patience or conditions
which
caused me to remove a callsign for a lack of Section.. Sorry.
The Dupe situation (31 in my log) was equally bizzare. Several loud stations
came back for
a second and in at least a couple cases a third QSO.
Is it possible some folks are still paper logging? Fill it out and use a
dupe sheet later? I'm sure there are a few anyway!
Still have yet to hear and JA from here. I listen every morning so it was
not a surprise to not hear them in the contest.
I know they were there, I just didn't hear any.
Participation from Michigan and Minnesota was impressive.
I expected the SMC guys to be out in force and they were.
East coast had great numbers as well. It will be interesting to see what the
total participation was compared to prior years.
I proudly avoided any contacts with North America Stations in the ARRL
designated Intercontinental frequency range 1.830-1.835 or anything bleeding
into that range (DX Window).


Notes to self:
Be better prepared.. See what time the contest starts (missed an hour at the
start due to stupidity)
If you plan to stay up all night.. get some rest the week prior. (retirement
is a long way off and I slept several hours each night)

Tom Baugh
AE9B


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